Thursday, May 27, 2010

The French have an expression: "Bon pain, bon maison!" This literally means: "Good bread, good home." Basically - if your bread is good, everything else is good. As far as country home decorating goes, I believe if your breadboards are good, your country home is good!

In my country home, I keep my antique breadboards at hand by hanging them up on my wall and storing them in the wooden box designed to hold my collection - this way they add country flair to my kitchen when they aren't in use (and I do actually use them). I use them as centerpieces on the dining table, and for serving cheese and crackers when entertaining guests, among other things. I love the look of the old wood so much - I use them whenever I can!

In her book, "Country On a Shoestring," Judy Condon suggests using antique breadboards on your countertops if your countertops aren't "country" enough for you, yet you can't afford to replace them -- and she adds that antique breadboards have a richer patina than new wood (butcherblock) does and give a better country appeal (p.11). And MUCH cheaper too!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Using an old stirrup I found at a flea market, I "rustled up" a charming, rustic towel holder to complement my country home! When I found one pictured here, it was in pretty bad shape. A little "spit and polish" was needed to bring it up to snuff. After sanding it down with my Dremel Sander and finishing it off with Briwax, it was ready for its new duty. Instead of muddy cowboy boots, it now holds my vintage country kitchen towels! So, if you happen to find some of these old stirrups, round 'em up!